Fire extinguisher



Allg. 27, A. BADGER FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed'oct.' 15. 1927 WMMHWIMM,

Cal

Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

PATENT @FFEQ.

ARTHUR C. BADGER, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXTINGUISHER.

Application filed October 15, 1927.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers of the type shown in my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 143,410, filed Uctober 22, 1926, in which the force for discharging the extinguishing liquid is supplied by gas contained under pressure in a cartridge, which is punctured at the time of use, and the extinguishing liquid at the time of discharge is adapted to make -contact with the cartridge to deliver heat thereto and mitigate the chilling effect on the gas due to its expansion from the high pressure within .the cartridge to the lower pressure in the body of the extinguisher. The particular object of the present invention is to provide for an extinguisher having the general characteristics and advantages of that set forth in the above entitled application, a cartridge retainer which not only maintains separation between the extinguishing liquid and the gas flowing out of the punctured cartridge, but also admits the liquid to contact with a large proportion of the area of the cartridge head, and is self adjusting to cart-ridges varying somewhat in dimensions. The characteristics of which the invention consists can best be explained in connection with a detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention.

ln the drawings furnished herewith,-

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of a fire extinguisher embodying the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections on lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The extinguisher body comprises a head 1 having an open neck for charging, to which a cap or cover 2 is connected, and a shell 3 secured to such head and having an end wall 4. The head is also formed with an interior wall 5 extending inwardly and an gularly downward, formed with an internal ledge or shoulder 6, and a cartridge supporting rim 7 connected with the wall 5 by webs or bars 8, between which are open ports 9. Externally the head is provided at one side with a boss 10 in which is a discharge passage 11 controlled by a spring seated outlet valve 12. A flexible hose 13 is connected to the outlet of the passage 11 in any manner usual or suitable with devices of this character. A passage 14 is formed in the interior wall 5 between the outer wall of the head and the downwardly inclined part of the wall 5. lPreferably the head is vformed with a solid web 15 in this part,

Serial N'o. 226,316.

through which the passage 14 extends and in the lower end of which is secured a tube 16 extending toward and terminating near the bottom wall 4. Such passage and tube provide al channel from which the extinguishing liquid is excluded and through which the released gas may flow to exert pressure on the liquid. Y

rlhe gas containing cartridge 17 is slightly smaller in diameter than the interior of the ring 7, so that it may pass therethrough, and it has an external flange or shoulder 18 to rest on the ring and thereby support the cartridge. Preferably the cartridge is made with homogeneous integral walls cornpletely enveloping the compressed charge, formed by the welded union of an originally separate body and cap. rlhese members abut against one another at the location of the 'flange 18 and, being electrically welded under pressure, the softened metal at the junction is upset in the course of welding and provides the stock out of which the shoulder 18 may be formed by a simple turning operation. I do not limit my invention, however, exclusively to use with cartridges of this character.

The cartridge is held on the seating rim 7 when the extinguisher is overturned or knocked about by a retainer 19 which is a tubular body having encircling flanges 2() and 21 between its ends for holding' a flexible' and compressible washer 22, of felt or other suitable material, to seat on the ledge or shoulder 6. One end of the retainer pro" jects through the opening surrounded by the ledge 6 and is contracted in diameter to provide a terminal lip 23 adapted to bear on the adjacent head of the cartridge in an outline which surrounds an area considerably smaller than the head as a whole, in which area the head is punctured to release its charge by the punch later described.

Above the washer 22 the retainer is formed with a central guideway for a punch carrying plunger 24, an external spring abutment or seat 25, and one or more lateral ports 26 to permit free flow of the gas released from the cartridge into the space above the wall 5.

A helical spring 27 is confined between the abutment and the shoulder 28 on a central inwardly projecting boss on the cover. Both the boss and the retainer have a short extension entering the adjacent end ofv the spring helix and surrounded by the endmost coils of the latter. These coils may be secured to the extensions by soldering, or

' otherwise; for instance, by embracing them so tightly as to grip them.

The punch plunger 2/1 passes through a stuiiing box 29 and carries a knob 30 on its outer end. On its inner end it carries a punch 31 adapted to punch a hole in the adjacent head of the cartridge,- which is preferably made of reduced thickness to facilitate penetration. The punch is also adapted to pass into the hole thus formed and fit tightly therein, and it has a shallow depression in its side to afford a restricted channel through which the released gas may flow at a predetermined retarded rate.

he retainer 19, by means of its washer 22 in contact with the shoulder G and its terminal lip in contactl with the cartridge head, forms a partition dividing the liquid containing space of the extinguisher from the space in the upper part of the head 1 to which the gas flows from the cartridge. But the ports 9 and the loose engagement of the ring 7 with the cartridge give access of the liquid to all parts of the cartridge except the small area in the head thereof from which it is excluded by the retainer. The annular surface of the head outside of the retainer lip 23, however, is exposed to contact with the liquid. This exposed surface may be made to include almost the entire Ahead outside of the area penetrated by the punch. The lip 23 may be contracted unt-.il the included area is only just large enough to permit passage of the punch.,

VIn being used, the extinguisher is inverted and the knob 30 is struck against some unyielding body. The punch is thereby forced through the adjacent cartridge head and is retained therein either by the frictional grip of the sides of the hole on the sides of the punch or by a spring latch 32 overlapping a flange 33 on the knob 30, or both. The gas in the cartridge then flows out at a retarded rate through the narrow channel provided for its escape and passes through the ports 26 into the open interior of the head, and thence through the passage 14 and tube 16 to the space adjacent to the inverted bottom of the extinguished above the level of the liquid. The contact of the retainer lip 23 with the cartridge prevents any appreciable flow of either gas or liquid between them, while the contracted shape of the lip allows the liquid to come into heat transferring contact with the cartridge head close to the channel through which the gas is escaping. The heat of the liquid is thus made available inthe greatest possible measure to diminish and retard the chilling effect due to expansion of the gas from the high pressure of the cartridge to the much lower pressure in the body of the extinguisher.

The most efficient gas for this purpose is carbon dioxide, because of its property of liquefying in the pressure and temperature conditions under which cartridges can be successfully charged. But this gas, when thus expanded in low temperatures, such as are not infrequently met with in winter in the higher latitudes of the temperate zones, will solidify and choke the outlet from the cartridge before completion of the discharge, unless heat is supplied from an external source. The extinguishing liquid in contact with the cartridge supplies such heat, and the contact of the liquid with the head of the cartridge permits complete and successful discharge at much `lower temperatures than would be possible if the liquid were excluded from the entire head of the cartridge.

In addition, the extinguisher has the advantages that the cartridge needs no finishing after welding except the simple operation of forming a square face on the shoulder 18, and may be placed in the extinguisher by simply dropping it in, without previously needing to be attached to any other part, its greatest diameter being less than the opening within the shoulder 6. And the retainer, by reason of its flexible and compressible washer 22, is self accommodating to minor variations in distance between the shoulder 18 and the head of different cartridges. This distance need not be an exact dimension within narrow limits of tolerance in order to enable the desired tight Contact, between the retainer on the one hand and the cartridge head and inner wall of the extinguisher head on the other hand, to be effected. The fact that the washer makes peripheral Contact with the downwardly extending part of the inner wall 5, and that the inner surface of this wall is finely tapered, and may be truly cylindrical, permits a wide latitude in the location of the retainer without destroying the desired tightness of this joint.

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fire extinguisher having an interior annular wall and a cartridge support below said wall, a tubular cartridge retainer adapted to make contact with the head of a cartridgevresting on said support and having an external yieldable packing member arranged to make contact with said inner wall, and a spring for holding said retainer in place. I

2. A rire extinguisher comprising a casing having an interior annular wall and a cartridge support below said wall combined with a closed gas containing cartridge having an external shoulder adapted to rest on said support and having an end head, a cartridge retainer passing through said inner wall formed with an annular lip on its end arranged to make contact with the cartridge head in an outline surrounding an area substantially less than that of the head, said retainer having an external compressible encircling packing member adapted to make a close joint with the inner surface of the annular wall in different positions of the retainer, a spring forcing the retainer against the cartridge and the latter against its support, and a punch movably arranged within the retainer to puncture the cartridge head in the area surrounded by the retainer lip.

3. A fire extinguisher comprising a casing havinoV a chargingopening, an internal annular wall below said opening, a cartridge support below the annular wall and provisions for permitting flow of the extinguishing liquid between the cartridge support and the annular wall, combined with a tubular cartridge retainer having a lip at its lower extremity adapted to make contact with the head of a gas containing cartridge resting on movable through the retainer and the space 30 surrounded by the lip thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

ARTHUR C. BADGER. 

